The calcitonin gene-related peptide activates both cAMP and NO pathways to induce relaxation of circular smooth muscle cells of guinea-pig ileum

Inflammation is the clinical expression of chemical mediators such as the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF-)-alpha produced by macrophages and other cells activated in the immune response. Hence, agents that can inhibit TNF-alpha may be useful in treating arthritis and other diseases resulting from uncontrolled inflammation. We now report that the cleavage of heparin by the enzyme heparinase I generates sulfated disaccharide (DS) molecules that can inhibit the production of TNF-alpha. Administration of nanogram amounts of the sulfated DS molecules to experimental animals inhibited delayed-type hypersensitivity to a skin sensitizer and arrested the joint swelling of immunologically induced adjuvant arthritis. Notably, the sulfated DS molecules showed a bell-shaped dose-response curve in vitro and in vivo: decreased effects were seen using amounts of the DS molecules higher than optimal. Thus, molecular regulators of inflammation can be released from the natural molecule heparin by the action of an enzyme.     

Vibration analysis of a rotating flexible shaft–disk system

Free vibrations of a spinning disk–shaft system are analysed using the finite-element method. The spinning disk is described by the Kirchhoff plate theory. The shaft is modelled by a rotating beam. Using Lagrange’s principle and including the rigid-body translation and tilting motion, equations of motion of the spinning flexible disk and shaft are derived consistently to satisfying the geometric compatibility conditions on the internal boundaries among the substructures. The finite-element method is then used to discretize the derived governing equations. The method is applied to the shaft–disk spinning system. The sensitivity to the running speed as well as the effect of both disk flexibility and boundary condition on the natural frequencies of the spinning system are numerically investigated.     

A Behavioral Model of MEMS Convective Accelerometers for the Evaluation of Design and Calibration Strategies at System Level

This paper presents a behavioral model that can be used to improve the manufacturability of systems based on MEMS convective sensors. This model permits to handle faults related to process scattering, taking into account not only the electrical and lateral geometrical parameters but also the influence of the cavity depth. Moreover correlations between conductive and convective phenomena are included. The model is validated with respect to FEM simulations and a very good agreement is obtained between the behavioral model and FEM results. The proposed model can then be used in system-level simulations, for instance to evaluate the impact of process scattering on the performances of the sensing part and/or to investigate different design and calibration strategies with respect to the system robustness.     

Improving the performance of retail stores subject to execution errors: coordination versus RFID technology

This paper analyzes a Newsvendor type inventory model in which a manufacturer sells a single product to a retailer store whose inventory is subject to errors stemming from execution problems. Hence, within the store, all of the products are not available on shelf for sales either because the replenishment of the shelf from the backroom is subject to execution errors that mainly result in products lost in the backroom or products misplaced on the other shelves of the store. We compare two situations: in the first situation, the two supply chain actors are aware of errors and optimize their ordering decisions by taking into account this issue. The second situation deals with the case where an advanced automatic identification system such as the Radio Frequency Identification technology is deployed in order to eliminate errors. Each situation is developed for three scenarios: in the centralized scenario, we consider a single decision-maker who is concerned with maximizing the entire supply chain’s profit; in the decentralized uncoordinated scenario, the retailer and the manufacturer act as different parties and do not cooperate. The third scenario is the decentralized coordinated scenario where we give conditions for coordinating the channel by designing a buyback contract. The authors would like to thank the editor, Prof. Dr. Hans-Otto Guenther, and two anonymous referees for their constructive comments to improve this article.     

Genetic parameters for tunisian holsteins using a test-day random regression model

Genetic parameters of milk, fat, and protein yields were estimated in the first 3 lactations for registered Tunisian Holsteins. Data included 140,187; 97,404; and 62,221 test-day production records collected on 22,538; 15,257; and 9,722 first-, second-, and third-parity cows, respectively. Records were of cows calving from 1992 to 2004 in 96 herds. (Co)variance components were estimated by Bayesian methods and a 3-trait-3-lactation random regression model. Gibbs sampling was used to obtain posterior distributions. The model included herd × test date, age × season of calving × stage of lactation [classes of 25 days in milk (DIM)], production sector × stage of lactation (classes of 5 DIM) as fixed effects, and random regression coefficients for additive genetic, permanent environmental, and herd-year of calving effects, which were defined as modified constant, linear, and quadratic Legendre coefficients. Heritability estimates for 305-d milk, fat and protein yields were moderate (0.12 to 0.18) and in the same range of parameters estimated in management systems with low to medium production levels. Heritabilities of test-day milk and protein yields for selected DIM were higher in the middle than at the beginning or the end of lactation. Inversely, heritabilities of fat yield were high at the peripheries of lactation. Genetic correlations among 305-d yield traits ranged from 0.50 to 0.86. The largest genetic correlation was observed between the first and second lactation, potentially due to the limited expression of genetic potential of superior cows in later lactations. Results suggested a lack of adaptation under the local management and climatic conditions. Results should be useful to implement a BLUP evaluation for the Tunisian cow population; however, results also indicated that further research focused on data quality might be needed.     

Experimental evaluation of dynamic resource orchestration in multi-layer (packet over flexi-grid optical) networks

Network services in 5G will be rolled out as pools of virtual network functions (VNFs) exploiting the advantages of both software-defined networking and network function virtualization. In this context, 5G network services are envisaged as ordered sequences of VNFs resulting in the so-called VNF Forwarding Graphs (VNFFGs). Such VNFs can be allocated over a number of distributed but interconnected data centers (DCs). In this work, a cloud/network orchestrator is discussed to dynamically process and accommodate VNFFG requests over a pool of DCs interconnected by a multi-layer (packet/flexi-grid optical) transport network infrastructure. Two different cloud and network resource allocation algorithms are proposed aiming at: (1) minimizing the distance between the selected DCs and (2) minimizing the load (i.e., consumed cloud resources) of the chosen DCs. In the performance evaluation, the proposed algorithms are experimentally validated and compared on the CTTC ADRENALINE testbed.

     

Tumor growth parameters estimation and source localization from a unique time point: Application to low-grade gliomas

Coupling time series of MR Images with reaction–diffusion-based models has provided interesting ways to better understand the proliferative-invasive aspect of glial cells in tumors. In this paper, we address a different formulation of the inverse problem: from a single time point image of a non-swollen brain tumor, estimate the tumor source location and the diffusivity ratio between white and gray matter, while exploring the possibility to predict the further extent of the observed tumor at later time points in low-grade gliomas. The synthetic and clinical results show the stability of the located source and its varying distance from the tumor barycenter and how the estimated ratio controls the spikiness of the tumor.     

Improvement in the field-weakening performance of switched reluctance machine with continuous mode

A new operation mode for switched reluctance motors (SRMs), called 'continuous mode', is described. By using this mode, the torque and then power in field-weakening mode can be considerably increased without any hardware modifications. Consequently, power and torque densities of SRMs become comparable to other technologies (synchronous and induction motors) and with a field weakening operation over a large speed range. This new degree of freedom makes it possible to improve the motor design, by modifying the rotor pole arc size or the windings turns per pole. Only simulation results are presented here, for a 12/8 SRM. Results confirm that the maximum power is improved (constant power on a very large speed range) and with a higher efficiency than that in the classical discontinuous mode.     

Shaft misalignment effect on bearings dynamical behavior

The inherent problems of the rotating machine dysfunction are often caused by shaft misalignment. This defect generates some important loads and vibrations, and can lead to a premature failure of the bearing, the shaft, or the coupling. This work deals with the development of a theoretical model describing this phenomenon. This allows obtaining and analysing the vibration response as well as the reaction in bearings.